Hookah smoking, with origins in 15th century India, continues to grow in popularity among college students and lower Passaic County restaurants.

Some owners of restaurants in Passaic, Paterson and Clifton say it has such a following that if they don't allow it in their establishments, it hurts their bottom line. Restaurants that don't offer hookah or water pipe smoking options, owners say, will lose patrons to establishments that do.

Some owners say it's financially feasible for them to allow smoking even though it's not allowed, and just pay fines imposed by their local health department.

"Everybody wants hookah," said Raymond Hernandez, the owner of the newly opened MamaSushi on Main Avenue in Passaic.

Passaic leaders say they heard the pleas from the business owners and changed some smoking regulations.

Beginning in October, the City of Passaic allows smoking in some outdoor dining areas.

The change will keep city restaurants competitive and give them a level playing field, Passaic Mayor Hector Lora said.

The playing field Lora is referring to is next door in Clifton, where three restaurants may legally allow patrons to smoke hookahs indoors and outdoors.

It's all legal, said John Biegel, who serves as health officer for Passaic and Clifton.

Jamie's Cigar Bar, Kamil's and La Ziza, are establishments that may allow their patrons to smoke indoors.

Kamil's is one of the restaurants licensed to have hookahs in Clifton. Shown on Friday October 19, 2018.(Photo: Anne-Marie Caruso/NorthJersey.com)

They are grandfathered into previous smoking laws that allowed establishments to offer smoking that derived 15 percent or more of their income from tobacco sales involving cigars, pipes and hookahs but not cigarettes.

Growing in popularity

In Manhattan there are lots of patrons — from Middle Easterners, hipsters, college students and millennials — who enjoy hookah smoking before, during and after their meals, said the owner of the newly opened MamaSushi.

That's also the case in New Jersey, specifically lower Passaic County and the city of Passaic, said Hernandez. He approached his mayor and council and asked them for help.

As a result, Passaic changed its regulations and will allow restaurants to offer smoking at outdoor seating areas between April 15 to Nov. 1.

Kamil's is one of the restaurants licensed to have hookahs in Clifton. Shown on Friday October 19, 2018.(Photo: Anne-Marie Caruso/NorthJersey.com)

Hernandez said the changes came a little too late to offer the smoking this year, but MamaSushi will start offering an area with hookahs by next summer. He said he will add tables on the Main Avenue sidewalk outside his restaurant.

Passaic Business Administrator Rick Fernandez said restaurants will need to submit plans to the engineering and health departments before they can set up outdoor tables.

All the rage

It costs between $10 and $20 to smoke the hookah.

"You buy orange-flavored, the smoke tastes like orange," said Kamil Barakat, chef and owner of Kamil's Lebanese Cuisine And Hookah Lounge, one of three restaurants in Clifton permitted to offer indoor smoking.

Kamil's is located on Main Avenue, which stretches from the border of Paterson to the border of Passaic, an area with a large Middle Eastern population.

Kamil's offers indoor and outdoor hookah smoking. It allowed smoking prior to 2006, when more stringent smoking regulations were passed in New Jersey. The restaurant is grandfathered into previous regulations.

The new regulations and fines are not enough to deter some eateries that rely on the smoking patrons to make a profit.

A number of restaurants, said local health officials, will let their patrons smoke, then just pay the $1,000 fine.

Kamil's is one of the restaurants licensed to have hookahs in Clifton. Shown on Friday October 19, 2018.(Photo: Anne-Marie Caruso/NorthJersey.com)

As the weather cools down in late fall, more restaurants will illegally offer indoor smoking, Beigel said. Because of that, Beigel said his department will ramp up indoor smoking enforcement. Health officials go out in teams, often after a complaint is filed with his department.

When they find evidence of hookah or other smoking, a summonses is issued. The top fine is $1,000 no matter if it's the first offense or not, Beigel said.

In recent years Clifton's health department issued $75,000 in fines due to violations of the state's Smoke-free Air Act Initiative, to a handful of Middle Eastern-themed restaurants.

In 2017 and 2018, health officials issued $18,000 in summonses to Beirut Restaurant on Main Avenue, which is not permitted to allow smoking.

The health departments cannot shut down business that violate smoking laws, Beigel said. Smoking does not constitute an imminent health threat, the health officer said, adding hookah smoke and its second-hand smoke is just as unhealthy as cigarettes.

Restaurants that have been fined for allowing indoor smoking in the last two years are: Beirut Restaurant on Main Avenue with a total of $36,717 in fines; Sultan Restaurant on Crooks Avenue with $14,563; Baranda Cafe on Main Avenue with $9,946; The Palace on Lexington Avenue with $13,566.

Hookah smoking is a growing trend among college students.(Photo: Courtesy of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

The hookah

Hookahs, or water pipes, allow for the smoking of flavored tobacco. Some flavors are apple, mint, cherry, chocolate, coconut, licorice, cappuccino and watermelon, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.